Bolton: There will be even more sanctions on Iran

US National Security Adviser says two rounds of sanctions on Iran have been effective, and more are coming.

Arutz Sheva North America Staff, 09/11/18 22:38

John Bolton

Reuters

US National Security Adviser John Bolton reiterated on Friday that more sanctions were possible on Iran, AFP reported.

His comments came four days after a new round of US measures on Tehran entered into force.

Bolton said two rounds of US sanctions introduced by President Donald Trump in August and most recently on Monday had had a "quite significant" effect on the Iranian economy and the country's actions abroad.

"I think that you're going to see even more sanctions coming into play over time and much tighter enforcement of the sanctions," Bolton was quoted as having told reporters in Paris.

Asked what would be the target of the sanctions, he replied, "There are other things we can do in the terrorism and counterterrorism area."

The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the sanctions will cause Iran's economy to contract 1.5 percent this year and 3.6 percent next year.

"We've seen indications that it has affected their belligerent activity in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Not enough yet, but it's beginning to have that effect," Bolton said.

"We've seen a continuation and exacerbation of political discontent inside Iran. That opposition continues to manifest itself. Economically the Iranian currency is going through the floor, inflation has quadrupled and the country is clearly in recession."

Bolton added that "the objective is still to drive Iranians exports of oil to zero" despite waivers given to the biggest buyers of Iranian oil, including China, India and South Korea.

"It's with some satisfaction that I noticed today the price of oil is down. We have worked with the Saudis, the Emiratis, and other producers to make sure production is up so that historic buyers of Iranian oil are not disadvantaged," he added.

Bolton similarly made clear earlier this week that the Trump administration is planning to impose even more sanctions on Iran.

"We’re gonna have sanctions that even go beyond this. We’re not simply going to be content with the level of sanctions that existed under Obama in 2015,” Bolton said in an interview with Fox Business Network.

"More are coming," he pledged, adding, "We are actually going to have very strict, very tight enforcement of the sanctions that exist."

The US sanctions were imposed after Trump withdrew in May from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, which he has said is “the worst deal ever negotiated”.

Iranian officials, as expected, have blasted the new sanctions. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif took to YouTube, posting a message in which he dismissed the new US sanctions and accused Washington of “hostility” against his country.